Tuesday, May 10, 2011

10 Years...

To my husband...I'd marry you again in a heartbeat...

10 years ago today (May 12, 2001) we said 'I do'. It was a perfect day for a wedding and for the most part everything went very smoothly. Though I do remember bits and pieces from that day, I think I 'floated' through it. We've said many times that if we didn't have to plan it we would love to enjoy our wedding day again and again and again.

As I look back on the last 1o years I am so thankful for the man that I was blessed to marry...you! We have served in church together through the Prism, ministering to high school students, leading kid programs, taking students to Uganda, Africa together, we have served in an orphanage in Jamaica together, we host a missional community together in our home, most importantly we have learned and grown together and through that we have served together in the best ministry the Lord could bless us with and that is our family. There is no one else I would want to be teamed up with!

Four months after we were married I was pregnant with Josiah, we were both in our last year of college, we had little to no money and you hadn't even begun the process of applying for jobs for after college. We knew it was best for our family that I stay home when the time came and so we stepped out in faith and as I look back on those years I am brought to tears with how God provided each and every step of the way. Many times we were on pins and needles...and our knees...waiting to see what He was going to do, but He always provided. This spring/summer we are enjoying our first year without wondering which one of us is going to find a job to help compensate for the summer months. I am so thankful that we don't have to do that, but I also don't want to lose sight of how we were blessed year after year with opportunities that only the Lord could dream up to help us.

There are many things I appreciate about you...you're handy, you're my steady eddie, you tell corny jokes (yes, I even appreciate that), you encourage me, you are an amazing dad, you play with our kids, you lead our family in prayer, you lead our family in learning more about God's Word, you push me in my spiritual walk, you are faithful, you provide for our family, you lead people in our church, you love others well, you have your priorities straight, you come home from work on time, you help around the house without me having to ask, you appreciate that I stay home and love me for it, you dance with me in the kitchen, you tell me you love me countless times during the day, you tell me I'm beautiful all the time, you hug and kiss me every time you leave the house, you give me breaks without hesitation, you still flirt with me and tease me, you get up with the kids at night, you always eat what I cook and appreciate it...even when sometimes I don't like the new recipe, I know I could go on and on, but the thing I love most about you is that you are the same person when we are out in public or with friends or with our family that you are when you are in our own home...you are real and I love you for that.

It's hard to believe that just over 10 years ago when we were pregnant and knew one of the things we would be sacrificing for me to stay home would be big trips, due to the cost. We said then that we wanted to try our best to take time for just the 2 of us in small ways each anniversary and for our 10 year we wanted to take a trip. Well, the plane tickets are bought and the hotel is booked...I can't wait to celebrate 10 years with my best friend...even if we can't celebrate until June due to the school schedule...I'm ok with that. :)

I love you and I'm so glad that you are my husband...you're my favorite. :)

If you click on the collages below, they show up a bit more clearly...